The Daily Tell

The family of a grateful patient has donated $45 million to the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

The gift, which is the largest private donation in the University of Maryland system's history, came from Indiana couple Ken and Sheila Cafferty.

"For years, my wife struggled with severe symptoms, with no diagnosis and no treatment for her condition," explained Ken Cafferty, a businessman from Carmel, Indiana, who is making the gift with his wife, Shelia, a registered nurse. "I endured this struggle with her, until Dr. Fasano and his staff at the Center for Celiac Research finally found answers for us, diagnosing Shelia with gluten sensitivity. We are making this gift with the hope that this new enterprise will help provide answers for other families in the same position, and hopefully make strides toward a cure to provide permanent relief for patients like Shelia."

The university will use the money to establish the nation's only major research facility dedicated to the study of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as celiac disease, an intestinal disorder that interferes with absorption of nutrients from food, particularly gluten. The center will also focus on multiple sclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and Type 1 diabetes.

The planned research enterprise, which will be constructed using $40 million of the donation, will be a full-fledged, multidisciplinary academic organization that expands upon two of the school’s existing research centers, the Mucosal Biology Research Center and the Center for Celiac Research. The research facilities will be headed by Dr. Alessio Fasano, M.D., a world renowned celiac disease researcher and professor of pediatrics, medicine and physiology at the School of Medicine, and director of the two existing centers.

The remaining $5 million will fund an endowed distinguished professorship to support a director position in perpetuity for the newly-established research center.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced nine Grand Challenges Explorations grantees, each of whom will receive up to $1 million to fund original and innovative research into solutions for global problems such as disease, poverty and hunger.

"The projects we are announcing today prove the value of investing in truly novel ideas to support global health," said Dr. Tachi Yamada, president of the Global Health Program at the Gates Foundation. "In the first two years of the Grand Challenges Explorations program we have funded 340 projects, and if even one of these ideas comes to fruition, it could save countless lives."

Among the grantees is Dr. Mark Davis of Stanford University, who is working to create a new method to quantify and profile cellular immune responses to vaccinations, specifically for the influenza and rotavirus vaccines. Dr. Davis' work could create more effective vaccines that would protect the most vulnerable citizens from disease.

Other projects receiving support include efforts to create light barriers that can repel malaria-carrying mosquitoes; research on the use of novel proteins, called homing endonucleases, to interfere with HIV DNA in infected cells, killing the virus while preserving the cell; and exploration of the use of molecule-coated gold nanocrystals that could be tailored to circumvent many viral and bacterial evolutionary drug resistance mechanisms.

"Our continued investments in these projects are designed to achieve the highest possible impact, for the greatest number of people, over the longest period of time," added Chris Wilson, director of the Global Health Discovery program at the Gates Foundation. "We have set ambitious goals that we know we cannot accomplish alone – we hope that other researchers and funders will join us in our efforts to broaden the pipeline of ideas to save lives."

Living Cities, a consortium of 22 large foundations and financial institutions, has announced that it will be contributing $82 million to five U.S. cities through its Integration Initiative to help create job opportunities, improve neighborhoods and provide for low-income families and individuals.

The money, composed of grants, loans and program-related investments, will go toward Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota; Baltimore, Maryland; Newark, New Jersey; Cleveland, Ohio; and Detroit, Michigan.

In Minneapolis, Living Cities hopes to bolster job creation and preserve transit-accessible housing with a $16 million donation. Baltimore was awarded $19 million for efforts that will focus on job creation and neighborhood rejuvenation, particularly in the eastern and central parts of the city. Newark, which received $15 million, will work primarily to create a "wellness economy," which focuses on investments in housing, public safety, healthcare, green spaces such as public parks, fresh healthy foods and employment.

Meanwhile, Detroit will use its $17 million in funds to support development along the Woodward Corridor. The stricken city, often considered a model of post-recession America, hopes to create an example for other Rust Belt communities by concentrating population and activity in sustainable corridors, expanding opportunity for low-income residents and putting vacant land to new and innovative uses.

Finally, Cleveland will apply its $15 million gift to working with large regional institutions – including the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University – to implement procurement, hiring, employee incentives and capital investment programs that foster job creation, promote business growth and offer benefits for low-income people.

"The underlying principle of our initiative is that to do this work, you have to have the public sector, the private sector, local philanthropies and the nonprofit community all at the same table talking about solving the problem," Living Cities CEO Ben Hecht told USA Today. "It's not about funding projects but about funding systems … We hope it's going to be a model for other cities." 

Los Angeles Lakers star and former NBA bad boy Ron Artest is auctioning off his recently-won championship ring for charity.

The 30-year-old small forward made headlines in 2004, while playing for the Indiana Pacers, when he climbed up into the stands to punch a fan in the face during a game-delaying brawl between players and spectators. Now, Artest is in the papers again – but this time, his intentions are a bit nobler. The 6'7" player will auction off his 2010 NBA Championship ring to help fund mental health services for youths who otherwise couldn't afford the counseling.

Artest hasn't been shy about his own mental health trials. After the brawl that resulted in a 73-game suspension and cost him an estimated $6 million in salary, Artest was shuffled between the Sacramento Kings and the Houston Rockets before finally settling with the Lakers, who beat the Boston Celtics in a seven-game series to win the NBA Championship earlier this year.

During the post-game celebratory interviews, which took place in front of the largest global television audience in NBA history, Artest publicly thanked his therapist for helping him to overcome his issues.

"A great psychologist made me reach deep, deep into my lies, deep, deep into my vices. Then I had to tell my wife everything. That totally changed my life," said Artest, a father of four.

"Having someone to talk to is very important. And there's no shame in asking for help," the basketball superstar added in a later interview with CNN's Larry King.

Artest is hoping that his championship ring will fetch upwards of $1 million, which he wants to use to help others in turmoil reach out and find a mental health professional, CNN reports. The ring is the single symbol of Artest's first and only championship win – but he says he won't wear it, so that the winning bidder will be the first to touch the bling. 

A charity bike ride intended to celebrate the memory of a fallen Phoenix law enforcement official has raised more than $10,000 for the families of public servicemen and women killed outside the line of duty.

The ride honored the late Jim Stenholm, a northeast Phoenix neighborhood-enforcement team veteran, who died from surgical complications two years ago. Known for his passion for cycling and mountain biking, Stenholm's memory is kept alive by the annual 62-mile bike race – a distance intended to recall Stenholm's 6206 badge number, the Arizona Republic reports.

Nearly twice as many participants took part in the race, dubbed the Stenholm 100, this year, as compared to last year. Cyclists contributed a minimum donation of $25, which will go toward developing a mentorship program through which active public safety officers will help children of families who have lost loved ones in law enforcement.

Rebecca Stenholm, the 37-year-old widow of the fallen officer, helped organize the ride to benefit the 100 Club of Arizona, a non-profit organization which primarily raises money to provide added financial support to the families of officers killed or injured in the line of duty. She said her husband – who is survived by two children, son Spencer, 6, and daughter Avery, 5 – would have appreciated the event.

"It's so fitting for Jim," Stenholm told the Republic. "That's the kind of guy he was. It helps an organization Jim was passionate about. He would have ridden in this ride if it was for someone else."

Christmas is coming early for needy families along South Carolina's coast, thanks to the efforts of one charity that wants to make sure nobody is without food, shelter and gifts this holiday season.

Coast Rescue Mission, a charity founded by Gwen Woody that works to provide mental, physical and emotional support for the needy, has shipped in two truckloads worth of food to ensure no tummies are rumbling in Myrtle Beach this winter. Along with nourishment, the charity is providing low-income people in the coastal area with personal care products such as medication, hygiene supplies and cleaning products, WMBF News reports.

The supplies, delivered by Feed the Children, should be enough to provide for 800 families.

Coastal Rescue Mission is a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina-based ministry and a member of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions. The charity gives food, shelter, clothing, spiritual sustenance, counseling and education to the poor and needy of the Grand Strand and surrounding areas. The nonprofit's mission envisions a world where one day all families in the low country can enjoy the safety and comfort of a roof over their heads and food on their tables.

Feed the Children is a global nonprofit group that works to bring food to the neediest families across the world. Over its 30-year history, Feed the Children has grown into one of the largest and most respected charities aimed at ending world hunger, reaching out to children in 119 countries. In 2009 alone, the charity shipped 133 million pounds of food and other essentials to children and families in all 50 states and in 34 foreign countries, supplementing more than 760,000 meals a day worldwide.

Toll Brothers, a builder of luxury homes, is continuing a lengthy tradition of giving back to the community by sponsoring a series of walkthons dedicated to raising funds and awareness for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the world's largest voluntary healthcare organization dedicated to researching, treating and one day curing the diseases.

The walkathons are dubbed "Light the Night" and carry the tagline, "Taking steps to cure cancer." The walkathons, which take place on autumn nights throughout the U.S. and Canada, were devised by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and are open to all interested children, adults and seniors. Participants carry lighted balloons to show support for those whose lives have been affected by these aggressive and invasive diseases, while raising money to fund research and patient treatment.

Toll Brothers became involved after its dedicated CEO, Joel Rassman, lost his battle with leukemia in September. Rassman had been with the company for 26 years.

The Toll Brothers Light the Night fundraiser, kicked off by the company's Michigan division on September 24, has already exceeded its $15,000 goal by raising $36,660 to date.

An estimated 259,889 people in the United States are living with or are in remission from leukemia, according to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. An estimated 43,050 new cases of leukemia will be diagnosed in the United States in 2010.
 

Next month, nine Washington breweries and five local bars are coming together to support charity through a fundraising food drive for the West Seattle Food Bank, reports Seattle PI.

The drive is being organized by Beer Church, a nonprofit group that aims to get people engaged in community initiatives through beer. Beer Church has put together more than 10 events in the past, with attendees generating tens of thousands of dollars.

"[Our goal is to] create simple, fun and affordable ways for people to be involved in charitable giving. And what's more simpler, more fun and more affordable than beer?" the organization told the source.

Beer Church is organizing a bowling play-off between local brewers and bars. The event will be sponsored by Link Apartments and Mike's Hard Lemonade. All funds raised will be donated to the West Seattle Food Bank. Additionally, Beer Church is developing a pale ale that will be sold by the participating bars, which will also support the food bank.

With more than 600 wineries and breweries in Washington, the state has a refined taste for exquisite spirits, which is partially the reason the Beer Church's events have been so successful in the past. 

Microsoft has donated $3 million in support of Kids in Need of Defense, or KIND, to help the nonprofit organization provide legal representation for children who come to the United States without a parent or guardian.

The two organizations have a longstanding relationship – in fact, KIND was launched in 2008 thanks to an initial $3 million gift from Microsoft. Now the software giant is reprising that contribution to help the charity stick to its commitment of finding pro bono lawyers to defend children in court against forcible deportation.

"This grant from Microsoft will help thousands of unaccompanied children who otherwise would have no representation in court proceedings," said KIND executive director Wendy Young. "Many of these children … need and deserve representation to help them make their claim for U.S. protection. Without representation, children with viable claims are often unable to make them and can be sent back to their home countries, where their well-being, or even their lives, may be in danger."

Each year, approximately 8,000 children who come alone to the United States are discovered by immigration officials and must find and pay for their own lawyers while facing the possibility of deportation to a country many were too young to remember leaving. Since January 2009, KIND has helped find representation for more than 1,900 of these children, ranging in age from two to 18 years and hailing from 35 countries. 

The Wells Fargo Housing Foundation, a charitable branch of the California-based Wells Fargo bank, has announced $5 million in grants to nonprofit housing organizations in 34 communities across the country.

The grants, coupled with help from Wells Fargo volunteers, are part of the company's Leading the Way Home Priority Markets program. The nationwide initiative aims to increase the availability of affordable housing for those in need around the country.

Cities receiving grant money include Atlanta, Georgia; Washington, D.C.; Las Vegas, Nevada; Newark, New Jersey; Los Angeles, California; Greensboro, North Carolina; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to name only a few.

"We are committed to helping communities grow and thrive," said Jon R. Campbell, head of Wells Fargo's Social Responsibility Group. "Priority Markets grants help cities and nonprofit partners complete building and renovation projects in distressed areas so they can stabilize those neighborhoods as well as stimulate long-term economic growth. The time and talents of our team members who will volunteer to help with these projects will extend our investment in these communities even further."

The grants aren't the first instance of Wells Fargo working to improve housing, either. Earlier this year, the financial institution contributed $8 million to Habitat for Humanity International in support of Habitat's Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, which works to build, maintain and repair safe and affordable housing for low-income families in markets hit hard by foreclosures.

The bank's charitable giving statistics are impressive even in areas other than real estate. On average, the bank gives $553,425 per day to nonprofits and logged 1.23 million employee volunteer hours in 2009.